Election Night Command Center

Sept. 6, 2016
From a strategic intelligence perspective, this event and the information it produces will be a valuable tool for political analysts and industry leaders alike.

Across the country, dozens of transit agencies are making the case to voters — riders and non-riders alike — that a substantial investment is worth making to improve our nation’s transit infrastructure. Constituents across the country will be grappling to determining the value this public good has in improving their communities. Their decision will have rebounding impacts on the way in which we and future generations move, commute, and navigate our cities. According to APTA, this November’s election is shaping up to be the largest ever in terms of total funds before voters nationwide, with billions of dollars at stake across a variety of infrastructure projects.

It’s important that we give this momentous event for our industry the focus and weight it deserves. With this in mind, AlphaVu will be partnering with TSC2 Group as well as other industry and media partners to spearhead a public infrastructure election night command center that will comprehensively report on transportation voting decisions as they happen around the country on November 8th. AlphaVu will convert its Washington DC office to a full functioning media reporting center for the entirety of the night. This effort is first of its kind for the industry.

Never before has there been a live election tracker for transit-specific initiatives at this level. The goal is to give visibility to these issues and bring the importance of infrastructure initiatives to the forefront of public consciousness. This will in part be achieved through our partnership with TSC2 Group, led by industry veteran Tom Skancke. Skancke has a strong track record in the transportation industry and his team possesses a wealth of knowledge on the most current policy issues in transportation.

The event will also make use of video and live streaming. With Facebook’s relatively recent introduction of it live video feature, Facebook Live, and the continued use of Periscope for Twitter, our live streaming and reporting will be a way of providing the public with a constant and stream of information. We will also be coordinating with executive leaders in the industry, who will make appearances through the night to synthesize information and discuss the implications of key results as the come in.

It also will be important for you, the transit executive. There is a need, especially on election night, for reliable and real-time information so that transit agencies can be the first to know and be ahead of the headlines. Although we will certainly be distributing information to the wider public, our primary focus will be on providing agencies with both a micro and macro level view at the landscape of public infrastructure decisions as they happen and what to make of that news and information.

From a strategic intelligence perspective, this event and the information it produces will be a valuable tool for political analysts and industry leaders alike. We know that results from the election will have a substantial impact on many aspects of the community and political life. We will be highlighting variations in transportation voter behavior across geographic and demographic sub-groups. And, of course, since the country will be voting for candidates on the state, local, and national levels, we will also to correlate election results with the outcomes in the transportation election outcomes in each region. This reporting will highlight the importance these transportation measures have in shaping the American social and political landscape for years to come.

AlphaVu and TSC2 Group’s election night command center will be an industry first and will combine the power of social networks and the media to shine light on transportation electoral results across the country. Stay tuned for more updates on the events and be sure to tweet us at @AlphaVu for your thoughts on what we should cover. We look forward to you tuning in November.